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41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My all-time favorite book, February 25, 2006
This is probably my all-time favorite romance novel. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you groan in frustration and smile with joy- and when you get to the last page, you feel that you are parting from very dear friends. You can feel the chemistry immediately when Matt and Meredith meet. Did you ever meet someone and after that first long conversation, you feel that you've lost a long lost friend? That's how Judith makes us feel when we read of the night they met. They have been separated ten years when they meet again under rather amazing circumstances. I don't want to give any plot away, but Judith is so stinkin clever with the twist she came up with to bring them together again, and even more clever in how she keeps them together. Vague, huh?! Sorry about that but I don't want to give it away! I've never seen an author so cleverly weave such a crazy but completely believable set of events. Meredith is strong, kind, and forgiving. Her father is autocratic and domineering, belittling her no matter how much she excels but she still manages to blossom into a caring adult. Matt is tough and confident and encourages her to be more assertive. He's not only a perfect mate for her but also the perfect partner. Matt. Oh my. Where to start! He is one of my most favorite heros ever. He begins as a steel worker but builds a massive financial empire a la Trump. He's classy and smooth but a bit reserved and afraid to let many people get close to him. He's brutal with his payback when he's been wronged but will stop at nothing to win what he thinks he deserves, including getting back the woman he loves once he realizes she loves him back. Good, old fashioned ethics and a strong opinion of wrong and right. He's a knight in shining armor, whether she wants him riding to her rescue or not!
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FROM 'PARADISE' TO 'PERFECT' !, May 7, 1999
"PARADISE" is one of my favorite books. I pull it off the shelf every few months to re-read it, and it's still as fresh and interesting as the day I bought it. Meredith and Matt are irrresistable as the lovers whom you know in your heart will make you truly believe that love makes anything possible! Circumstances hinder their relationship at every turn, but still they manage to beat the odds, and find a way to be together. And best of all.... after you read the last page of "PARADISE" you get to pick up with Meredith and Matt in "PERFECT", and find out what happens after they walked off into the sunset. While not a sequel, "Perfect" is another great love story. Julie Matthison and Zachary Benedict will remind you just how great a writer Judith Mc Naught is. Two exciting stories that prove the true power of love. Sometimes,I try to decide if I have a favorite among the two, but there's no need. After all two are better than one anyway!Pick up "PARADISE" and "PERFECT". You Just can't ask for a better way to spend your 'reading' time!
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48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A second chance at love . . ., September 21, 2004
A second chance at love is worth fighting for as Matthew Farrell and Meredith Bancroft prove in this blissful book by Judith McNaught. This book will keep you riveted from the first! You'll experience so many emotions and such intense feelings -- love, hate, grief, joy, sadness, anger and frustration -- that when you're finished you'll feel like you've just stepped off an emotional roller coaster that left you wanting more. Remember to have a box of Kleenex handy when you begin -- you'll need them! Matthew and Meredith are some of the very best characters I've ever had the privilege to read about. They're true-to-life, three dimensional and so real that their emotions jump from the pages and weave themselves around you making the story come to life vividly. Matthew is the absolute definition of a romantic hero. Though hurt long ago by his true love he realizes he still wants her and does everything in his power to prove to her that they belong together. The way he stoically stands by his resolve to have Meredith for his own is beautiful. Though she feels betrayed by Matt, something inexplicably draws Meredith to him every time they meet. Watching Meredith burst free from the confines of her life that say she should not be with Matt is wonderful. The love between these two is explosive and oh-so-passionate! They have a deep and abiding love that even time and sordid lies could not kill. Ms. McNaught has a keen talent to make you experience her work and feel as if you've stepped into the story. Her secondary characters are just as fleshed out as her main characters and become quite real themselves. Meredith's father is a hard, bitter and selfish man who makes everyone's life miserable. I actually wanted to climb into the book and choke a fictional character! I really loved the way that Ms. McNaught showed the growth of her characters. Each character reshapes and expands throughout the book giving the reader a deeper insight into their personalities while keeping the characters genuine. By the end of the book Meredith's father even changes into someone half-way likable. I appreciated the look at Meredith's youth that gave insight into the things that shaped her as a woman and I also adored the look into the future of our couple. The plot was also outstanding -- I became engrossed in the business world that Ms. McNaught so realistically created. I can't say enough good things about this book! My first by Judith McNaught that left me wanting to rush to the nearest bookstore and snatch up all her work. Don't be daunted by the length, this book will fly by and before you know it you'll be at the end. Don't forget to search up _Perfect_ by Ms. McNaught, I hear Meredith and Matt are mentioned in that book as well. Please don't hesitate to buy this book it's one of the best I've ever read.
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